White Sands National Monument, with such a brilliant white that it was difficult to photograph. The sands can be hiked in search of shade, which allowed for some striking shots in my video. You do not wish to be here on a hot summer day.

The Anasazi, early Native American residents of a vast area, left behind such sites as the ceremonial Kiva pictured above. Bandalier National Monument offered greater access to Anasazi structures than I expected or had found before. White Sands and Bandalier are in southern New Mexico.

Archaeologists ponder over why the Anasazi vanished, yet my visit to the Taos Pueblo later on this trip suggested that the Anasaizi's descendants are still here.

If you have a high speed internet connection, watch the Intrepid Berkeley Explorer's free streaming video of this trip to New Mexico, as the first part of "Polar Bear Pueblo", by clicking on: AdventurePics.com

U.S.A.

White Sands and Bandalier National Monuments

Typical Anasazi housing, built high up for defense, while also taking advantage of natural caves at Bandalier.

Ladder to an Anasazi cave house. Climbing laddersis a necessity at Bandalier, clearly the Anasazi way.Similar ladders serve the same purpose at the Taos Pueblo, which also has its own ceremonial Kiva.